Finally Requitted
by Sanctuary Memory
Summary: Set after Sasuke's return from finally avenging his clan, he comes back to the life, and the girl, he left behind. The problem? Sakura isn't quite as happy to see him as he might have hoped. One shot fanfiction.


Darling Haruno Sakura had never, ever given up on winning the love of her life. Even though he had left the village, and done things that he should have been shunned forever for, she could not stop loving him, and lusting for him. He had returned to her one day, several years after he first left; but she had long since lost track of the actual number of missing days. And, he had returned full of kindness, which eventually blossomed into love. One day, Sakura had done her old routine of when they were fresh Ninja Academy students, and asked him sweetly: "Sasuke-kun, do you want to go out?"

To her surprise, he had agreed. He agreed again after that, and again after that. Then, several weeks later, he beat her to it, and had asked her out to dinner at Ichiraku Ramen Shop before she could even suggest another 'date'. It was that night that he had asked her to go steady with him.

Now, she stared into the face of the man she once knew, and her brow crinkled. She took a step towards him, and swung her left hand forward. The echo of a slap was heard as her hand connected with his cheek. Tears filled into her eyes as she continued to look at him. How dare he return here now, she wondered, and for a moment, she became lost in a flurry of memories.

His face registered a look of shock and horror, and ebony eyes locked on her own at the impact of her palm. His hand reached up to grab his throbbing cheek, and she took a step forward. He was absolutely appalled that she had that kind of nerve, and for being Uchiha Sasuke, he was quite taken aback.

"How can you stand here and say that you don't love me? How can you tell me how great would you be for me if you were here? How can you play with my hair, kiss my cheeks, and be so terribly kind, and yet say you don't love me anymore?"

She reached out and placed her hands on his chest and pushed, shoving him back. "How can you play with my heart like that, and only when you get a conscience stop, because you have someone else? Who do you even think you are coming back here and telling me that you have someone new? Especially when you know that I'm sitting right here waiting for you? That I'm fighting with everything I've got to win you back!" She shoved him again, this time harder.

Sakura was lost in her mind with the pain that she had felt for such a long time. While they had began dating steadily, much to the agreement of everyone in the village, including Uzamaki Naruto, and even Rock Lee, in the end, Sasuke had left her. He claimed to have found an interest in someone else. Someone less spunky, less lively… less everything. Someone more his pace, the pace of cold-hearted vengeance.

"I'm tired of waiting for you to find out that you're still in love with me. How can flirt shamelessly here with me, and then run back home to your stupid new lover? I don't know why you even came back in the first place! You like me, but you don't love me?" Another shove, and this time, she beat on his shoulders with clenched hands.

"You say you aren't ready to marry her, but I was different! You wanted to marry me. You had to marry me, you said! And yet, you don't want to marry her, but you won't leave her and come home where you belong! You won't hurt her feelings, you say! You left me over a year ago without a word! I just woke up one morning, and you were gone. The only thing you left behind was a note saying you weren't coming back, and a couple of our pictures. How do you think that made me feel?"

His eyes showed deep sadness, but he continued to let her stand there and push him away. He deserved it. After all, he had done all the things she was accusing him of, and with no proper reason. His head bent down, to glance at the pink haired girl, and his long hair covered his face. Even now, it pained him to see her in so much pain. How much longer would he let the world beat on her and nip at her heels?

He could agree with all of the anger she was putting on him. Uchiha Sasuke had no doubt in his mind that he was an evil person, and that he deserved no less than the attack than that which he was now receiving from his former beloved.

"I hate you! I hate you!" She was screaming at him now, and he felt his own heart being torn apart. They had dated before, for several years, and had fought plenty of times. Never once had she said those words. Not even when he left her did she say them. Only words of love had escaped her lips, even when he told her of his new girl, she continued to press for undying love. Even when he had shunned her in the past.

Today, he had bent in to kiss her, before he stopped himself, and told her flat out that he would never be her lover again. At first, she had laughed at him, not believing, and saying that he was worth the fight to win back. But, he had pushed her away again, gently, and she become angry, which led to this.

He couldn't take it anymore.

Going to hit him again, he grabbed her wrist. Then, he pulled her to him, crushing her body against his. He held her tightly, and she could eventually hear his heartbeat. She tried to pull away, but he was clearly stronger than her, as always. She sobbed into his chest, and he placed his head atop hers.

"Of course I don't want to be your lover again. I never wanted to stop. And of course I can't hurt her feelings, she isn't real. I don't want to marry her, because you're right, I have to marry you."

Time seemed to freeze.

"I left because I felt I was holding you back. And then I saw you, trying to be happy, and meeting new people. When I came back, I couldn't come back empty handed. I couldn't let you see that I couldn't live without you. So, I made her up. I made up this lover so that you would go away and find someone to treat you nicely. And you never went away. But, I can't push you anymore. I'll never let you go this time. You're mine, and only mine. I couldn't see how much you loved me then, and I still can't see the full extent of it, but I love you. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Coming out and telling the truth, speaking his mind, and letting his emotions over run him was far beyond Sasuke's comprehension. This girl before him always made him do silly things like this that he could never understand. It was all true though. Though he had admitted his love to her, he had left her for a faux lover. Over the course of their relationship, he had begun to wonder about his intentions.

Having never before had the experience of showing affections and emotions, he wondered if he was being true to Sakura. Yes, he cared deeply for her, and had done crazy things to protect her. Yes, he had left her to avenge his long lost clan. True, also, that he had accomplished his personal mission before coming back to his birth place, and into the arms of the girl he had been purposely pushing away for several years. But, he wondered, was he only being nice to her, and giving her what she wanted for his personal gain? Did he truly love her, or did he only want her to revive his clan and in turn, gain more power? He had become confused, and the only thing that had brought him back here to try and win her heart again was the memory of his parents.

Uchiha Sasuke remembered so well his parents always being happy. Always showing affections. Whether his father was in the front hall or talking to someone on the street, if his mother was near, his father was touching her; be it her hand or waist, or hair. And he knew, like nothing else in this world, that he wanted to treat Sakura the exact same way. It had taken him a year to realize this, he knew, but he had realized it, and he had come back. Though, he was slightly confused upon his return once more, and when he saw his Sakura happy with someone new, he became hurt. For this reason, he made up a lover, and tried to distance himself from her. But he couldn't. It was this love that he had been hiding from her since they were only twelve that had brought him to this sudden outburst of strange emotions.

He pulled her tighter, choking her sobs inside of her. "I love you," he whispered into her flat locks of hair. "I'll come back to you, as long as you never hate me." And he placed a kiss on the top her head, before using a hand to bring her face to his, and seal what he had thrown away a year ago.

And he didn't regret one second of it.


End file.
